Bitrates of The Devil's Needle (TOP),
Children of Eve (MIDDLE), The Inside of the White Slave Traffic
(BOTTOM):

Description: In its continuing effort to showcase the great
works of early cinema, Kino Classics launches a new series
of Blu-ray and DVD releases dedicated to archival rarities
-- influential classics that have gone virtually unseen for
decades. Presented in association with the Library of
Congress, the films have been mastered in HD from the
original film elements and are backed with newly
commissioned musical scores. In some cases the films survive
in less-than-perfect condition. But it is the mission of
this series to preserve and promote these films in spite of
their flaws, rather than allow them to disappear entirely
from the cultural radar.

The Films:

THE DEVIL'S NEEDLE AND OTHER TALES OF VICE AND REDEMPTION is comprised
of three feature films that dared to address incendiary subject matter:
drug abuse, prostitution, and the exploitation of labor. By folding
these explosive issues within layers of melodramatic storytelling, the
filmmakers were able to dodge public criticism while making their
political views even more compelling. These films were among the first
to demonstrate the cinema's potential as a persuasive cultural force.

THE DEVIL'S NEEDLE (1916, dir: Chester Withey) stars silent superstar
Norma Talmadge as Renee, a French artist's model who uses morphine as an
escape from the dull reality of her life. She recommends it to a
neurotic artist played by Tully Marshall (Queen Kelly), because ''it
kindles the fires of genius.'' The artist quickly becomes addicted to
the drug and the quality of his work begins to disintegrate. He takes on
a new model, marries her, and starts her on the same path of moral
degradation, until a guilt-ridden Renee decides to intervene in order to
save them both. According to silent film historian Kevin Brownlow, THE
DEVIL'S NEEDLE was banned by the state of Ohio, but the censor board
reversed its decision after recognizing the positive message beneath the
film's scandalous surface. This special edition was mastered from a 35mm
preservation print of the 1923 re-release version. The only known
surviving copy, the element suffers significant nitrate decomposition
during some scenes. (66 min)

CHILDREN OF EVE (1915; dir: John Collins) is most famous today for its
detailed reenactment of the tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in 1911, which had become a symbol of unsafe working conditions
and capital's apparent disregard for labor. Viola Dana stars as an
illegitimate child of the slums who labors in an oppressive canning
company, not realizing she has a significant connection to the
cold-hearted factory owner. This special edition includes outtake
footage of the sensational fire scene, for which the Edison Studios set
an actual four-story factory ablaze. (73 min)

THE INSIDE OF THE WHITE SLAVE TRAFFIC (1913, dir: Frank Beal) is one of
the most notorious films of the silent era, as it not only centered on
the theme of forced prostitution, ''It goes in for the utmost fidelity
in picturing the evil which has been its inspiration'' (Variety).
Demonstrating the methods of the network of American pimps known as
''white slavers'' in meticulous detail (including a helpful guide to
underworld slang), the film plays more like docudrama than melodrama. It
is easy to see why it was such a public sensation upon its release. The
complete four-reel version of the film no longer exists. This edition
was mastered from the sole surviving copy, a two-reel version that has
experienced significant damage. Explanatory titles have been added to
bridge missing footage. (28 min)

Image : NOTE:The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.

I'm usually quiet lenient with
damage in very old films transferred to
Blu-ray but
purchasers should be aware thatThe Devil's Needle has extensive emulsion issues
throughout much of the middle third of the film (see samples
below). I suspect that fans of the Silent Era will be able
to shrug this off and appreciate the 1080P presentation.
Rounded corners are frequently visible. The contrast tends
to make the film look thin but again - whether these
limitations from the source will impinge upon your viewing -
is a personal issue. Technically bitrates are high for all
three films - housed on a dual-layered disc. Children of
Eve probably looks the best of the three - still with
damage and scratches - but a lesser interruption of the
video. The Inside of the White Slave Traffic also has
marks etc. but these are usually in the form of multiple
vertical scratches. Overall - I'd say there was more visual
weaknesses than I was anticipating in the package but I
could still enjoy the three films for what they are -
appreciating when they were produced.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Children of Eve

The Inside of the White Slave Traffic

Audio :

These are newly
commissioned scores - all in linear PCM 2.0 channel transfers. They
sound wonderful without being so overwhelming as to detract from the
onscreen activity. I enjoyed the music - appropriate for Silent Era fare
and very clean and crisp as a juxtaposition to the video. The
intertitles vary from newly created to original and there are no
subtitles necessary.

My Momitsu
has identified
it as being a region FREE disc playable on
Blu-ray
machines worldwide.

Extras :

Supplements
include some unrestored footage of the fire in The Inside of the
White Slave Traffic and some outtake footage from Children of Eve.
The package contains a liner notes booklet with text by film historian
Richard Koszarski but there is nothing digital along the lines of a
discussion of the films themselves - which would have been nice.
Koszarski thoughts are appreciated though.

BOTTOM LINE:

The titles in Kino's
Blu-ray
package certainly conjure up some sensationalistic curiosity
with topics involving
drug abuse, prostitution, and labor exploitation. This is certainly an interesting
Blu-ray and for the mere ability to able to see these bizarre films is
appreciated by fans of the Silent Era. I'm sure the quality
will be of a lesser priority for those keen to indulge. Most
aficionados of the genre will thoroughly enjoy.

Gary Tooze

July 3rd, 2012

About the Reviewer:
Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film
since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was
around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my
horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out
new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500
DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my
discussion Listserv for furthering my film
education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver.
Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our
Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction.